1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for supplying an automatic spinning machine with filled sliver cans and for removing the cans that become empty at the spinning stations with the aid of a can transport carriage, which can be driven between the automatic spinning station and a can delivery station or empty can receiving station and which has can parking places and an automatic can changer, wherein the can changer removes an empty can located below a spinning station of the automatic spinning machine and places it on a free parking place of the can transport carriage, and replaces it with a filled can from the can supply of the can transport carriage which it places under the spinning station.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such an apparatus is known from German Published, Non-Prosecuted Application DE 38 31 638 A1, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,406. The known apparatus relates to a can transport carriage having a turntable on which the cans stand. At the automatic spinning machine, all of the sliver cans stand in a row, and a can changing apparatus of the can transport carriage exchanges one empty can at a time with a can it has brought.
However, the can transport carriage is only suitable for sliver cans of relatively small diameter, which cannot be larger than the center spacing of adjacent spinning stations of an automatic spinning machine.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a method and an apparatus for changing the sliver cans of an automatic spinning machine, which overcome the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known methods and devices of this general type and which can be used to change sliver cans having a diameter substantially larger than the center spacing between two adjacent spinning stations.